hole in our souls
by SSSRHA
Summary: No one expects it when the last of the Wen Remnants don't die peacefully. No one expects the consequences of it, either. (Or: The Wen Remnants died due to no fault of their own. And now they're back, and they're demanding repentance.) [one-shot, lots of angst, so be prepared] [mdzs]


**A certain** truth about soul-calming ceremonies is that they are not one hundred percent guaranteed to work—they simply reduce the chance of someone becoming a ghost. The Nie Sect, for example, is said to have many members become fierce corpses due to Qi Deviation, even after countless soul-calming ceremonies. And yet, no one expects it when the last of the Wen remnants don't die peacefully. No one expects the consequences of it, either.

* * *

**Jin Guangshan** is completely unprepared for when she appears. In fact, he's quite sure that everyone in the main hall of Koi Tower is unprepared for her sudden appearance. Wen Qing, he notes, is just as beautiful as usual—he would have loved to sleep with her, but she was a Wen, and while people tolerated his illegitimate children, they wouldn't be so kind if one of them had Wen blood—but all his logical thought process has been momentarily halted. After all, there is something very important that no one can forget: Wen Qing is dead. Jin Guangshan himself had scattered her ashes. So, how is she standing in the middle of Koi Tower's main hall?

Wen Qing, on the other hand, does not seem at all concerned with her appearance. Instead, she stares straight into Jin Guangshan's eyes. No one is quite sure how to react until Wen Qing speaks. "We did nothing." She says it plainly. "Leave us alone."

It shakes him to his very core. Those were the exact words that Wen Qing had said, pleading, when she had turned herself in. Now, though, there is no desperation in her eyes, just ice. Jin Guangshan does his best to not scowl back. "Someone apprehend her!" he says.

Jin Guangyao bursts into action. As quickly as he could without seeming improper, he goes to her and makes to grab her arm. "Wen Qing, I must take you to—" He, along with everyone else, freezes when his hand passes right through her. He reels backward, eyes wide. Wen Qing doesn't pay him any mind.

"Just leave us alone," she repeats. Now her tone is accusatory, as is her gaze. She never breaks eye-contact with Jin Guangshan. Others run to subdue her—some with swords, others with seals. Slowly, everyone there comes to the same, horrifying realization: nothing can harm Wen Qing. Nothing can even touch her. Time and time again, they watch everything slip through her form, like she is a mirage. No, she _is_ a mirage.

"A ghost," Jin Guangyao says, half horrified and half fascinated. "She's a Harmless Ghost." Those few words terrify Jin Guangshan. Everyone knows what a Harmless Ghost is—a dead human who comes back to life solely to force those it believes has wronged it to repent. They cause no harm, so nothing causes them harm. Worst of all, there is no way to get rid of them.

Jin Guangshan licks his lips. "Wen Qing," he says with as much authority as he can muster, "leave."

"Leave us alone." The answer is immediate and forceful.

"It's too late. You are not alive and you are not welcome at Koi Tower. Leave."

Something in Wen Qing snaps. She starts walking toward him. "You need to leave us alone!" she yells. "We did nothing!"

He wants to tell her that the Wens had done everything—tried to take over the cultivational world, supported a demonic cultivator, killed his son and daughter-in-law—but Jin Guangshan doesn't reply to her, for he knows there is no reasoning with a Harmless Ghost. They keep going until they are satisfied, and Wen Qing will not be satisfied. Teeth grit, he says, "How about you leave _us _alone?"

That was not the right thing to say. Wen Qing stares at him, eyes wide, before she screams—half in terror, half in fury. Just like that, she bursts into flames. The phantom heat from the phantom fire washes over Jin Guangshan, burning him without leaving any marks on his skin. She scorches the carpet and he is unsure of whether it can be fixed or not. She doesn't care, instead running toward him. Her skin boils and melts and chars over but she does not stop, and Jin Guangshan can't bring himself to move, even when she walks up to the stairs that lead to his seat. She stops just short of them. She finally breaks eye-contact when her face chars over. Before she collapses, she says hoarsely, "You did this to me."

She falls to the ground and disappears. Everyone is shaken, everyone is concerned, and it's Jin Guangyao that takes charge of the situation. "I believe," he says, not quite able to hide the tremor in his voice, "that it would be best for us to leave." Jin Guangshan nods along without even realizing it. Receiving his father's permission, Jin Guangyao starts to herd everyone out of the hall. Jin Guangshan is one of the first people to step out, and the very moment he does, an apparition once again appears in Koi Tower's main hall.

This time, Wen Qing seems immediately enraged at the fact that Jin Guangshan had tried to leave. This time, there is no begging to "leave us alone"; instead, Wen Qing just bursts into flame and takes off running after him. He doesn't quite manage to dodge her when she comes to grab him, but she goes right through him anyway. She immediately leans backward, trying to stop her momentum, but it's no use: Wen Qing goes tumbling down the steps of Koi Tower.

Her screams echo all the way down and everyone, having been alerted by the commotion, watches someone roll down those steps for a second. At the bottom, Wen Qing wails. She still maintains eye-contact with Jin Guangshan, and he can't help but shudder. And then all of Koi Tower watches on, horrified, as they see something they have never seen before: Wen Qing starts to climb back up. Her left leg has fallen off, but no matter; Wen Qing claws up with her hands. All but one of the fingers on her right hand wither away, but no matter; one hand is more than sufficient to pull herself up the steps.

She doesn't make it to the top. Her face chars over once again, her limbs spasming and her voice crying out in agony. And yet, she still somehow manages to get the last laugh. As loud as she could—that is to say, loud enough to get the attention of all of Koi Tower—she screams, "You did this to me, Jin Guangshan!"

She collapses. She disappears. She reappears right next to Sect Leader Jin. And she doesn't stop.

(All of Koi Tower realizes that day that something has gone very wrong.)

* * *

**Despite the** LanlingJin's best efforts, the entirety of the cultivational world hears of what happened after a single afternoon. They respectfully don't demand explanations and leave Koi Tower to sort out the chaos all on its own. No one expects another Harmless Ghost to appear. Maybe that is why it takes the QingheNie a day to realize that something is wrong.

In their defense, a man in his late fifties walking around and asking for a drink is hardly something to be alarmed by. He's bright and merry and never takes offense when someone tells him that they don't have any alcohol—not even when people shoo him away in irritation. People only get an inkling when he walks through the closed doors that lead to the main hall like they don't exist.

On the other side, everyone is stunned—Nie Huaisang even snaps his fan shut in surprise. "Brother, he—"

Nie Mingjue interrupts him. "Who," he says to the old man, his gaze intense and unkind, "are you?"

The old man's eyes meet his, and suddenly he smiles brighter. He makes a beeline toward Sect Leader Nie and the others in the room, alarmed, pounce to try and subdue him. They all pass through him just as he had passed through the door. It doesn't take very long for them to come to the correct conclusion: this is a Harmless Ghost. Knowing that nothing they can do will help, they slowly re-sheath their swords and wait for Sect Leader Nie to give them instructions.

Nie Mingjue, on his part, is not quite sure what to do. What has he done to make someone so mad at him that they'd return as a Harmless Ghost? He can find no distinguishing features on the man. So, he stays still as he approaches, his smile never moving an inch. Finally, the old man asks, "Chifeng-zun, may I have some alcohol?"

Everyone holds their breaths. Nie Mingjue clenches his jaw. "No." Even if he wanted to give him alcohol, the ghost wouldn't be able to drink it. The old man doesn't seem aware of this, however, and only frowns.

"Chifeng-zun, please give me some alcohol. The good kind." Nie Mingjue stares at him, unflinching. The ghost looks vaguely agitated before it changes tactics. "I'm something of an alcohol maker myself, actually. I managed to make something amazing even in the Burial Mounds—Young Master Wei even complimented me."

Everyone's stomachs drop. Oh. This man was a Wen...a Wen who lived in the Burial Mounds with the Yiling Patriarch. Nie Huaisang's fan is back up, covering most of his face, eyes darting around desperately—probably to find a way to escape this hot mess. For once, Nie Mingjue isn't irritated by his little brother's cowardice, for he, too, wants to leave. Sect Leader Nie grips the arms of his seat tighter. "You want alcohol?" he asks, somehow managing to not sound as enraged as he feels.

"Yes!" the man replies brightly.

Nie Mingjue clenches his jaw and works through his options. The only way to deal with a Harmless Ghost is to satisfy them. Usually, this means repenting—but this ghost isn't being very clear on what it wants him to repent for. (Nie Mingjue knows what it wants. He just isn't ready to admit to doing what it thinks he did.) However, this ghost is asking for alcohol. Would that satisfy it? "Get him some alcohol," he finally says.

The servants immediately rush into action, and Nie Huaisang steals away in the commotion—not very far, though. He stays in the far corner of the room, right next to the door. Nie Mingjue nearly threatens to break his legs. Why is this the one time that his little brother decides to show some courage?

The alcohol is presented to the ghost in a mere minute, and Nie Mingjue isn't quite sure what to make of the pure, unadulterated joy on the old man's face. "Thank you," he says, reaching for the glass. His hand goes right through it. He frowns. "Can you put it down?" he asks the servant.

The servant nods hastily and sets the cup on the ground. The old man, now crouching, tries once again to pick up the alcohol. It still doesn't work, not even when he tries again with two hands, as gentle as he can be. He passes through it just like swords pass through him. His head is hung low the entire time, so Nie Mingjue can't make out his expression. He can tell very well when the man starts shaking, though. When he finally looks up, Nie Mingjue flinches. The look on his face is one of complete and utter horror.

"Everything's fine," he says to Nie Mingjue. "I'm fine." He's not fine. At the next second, he's shoved backward by an invisible force. He clutches his chest, the front of his shirt suddenly darkening. When his arm pulls away, it's stained a sickening red. His hand goes back to his chest. "It's fine." He's very clearly panting, very clearly terrified out of his mind, and yet his voice only wobbles slightly.

Dimly, Nie Mingjue realizes that this man was comforting someone else when he died. It's a hard thought to swallow, especially when the man's head suddenly snaps to the left. More blood runs down his cheek, a never-ending river. His other hand clutches his head. "Everything's okay. You'll be fine."

Multiple lesions appear all over his body, and there is no way for the man to keep all the blood inside. "Your Uncle Four is fine," he says weakly, even as his blood falls and stains the floor (and it will never come off, no matter how hard they're scrubbed). Nie Mingjue watches as he collapses onto the ground, pale and breathless. He has to listen to the man's last, strained words: "Everything's going to be fine."

The man stops breathing and, for a second, everything is still. Then the man disappears, only to reappear moments later. He makes eye contact with Sect Leader Nie. He smiles brightly. "Chifeng-zun, can I have some alcohol?"

Nie Migjue can see Nie Huaisang's horrified expression on the other side of the room. He knows that this ghost will follow him no matter where he goes. He knows that he will not be left alone until he figures out what this ghost wants him to repent for. (He knows that it wants. He just doesn't know how to admit it.)

(All of the Unclean Realms realizes that day that something has gone very wrong.)

* * *

**The rest** of the cultivational world lies waiting, observing the chaos of the LanlingJin and the QingheNie in fear. After all, it's only a matter of time before the ghosts come to the rest of them, and there is no way to prepare and no way to get rid of them. The Lan want nothing to do with this—after all, are they not the most righteous of all the Sects? Surely they've done nothing wrong. And then a ghost appears at the Cloud Recesses.

They'll later learn that it appeared at the exact same time that the old man appeared in the Unclean Realms and Wen Qing appeared at Koi Tower, but the Cloud Recesses doesn't realize that something is wrong for two days. It's only after a certain child makes an offhand remark to his sibling in the vicinity of Lan Xichen that someone notices. A ten-year-old boy runs in circles around his younger sister, who gets increasingly more agitated. "Gege!" she says. "Stop that! You're being mean!"

Little Lan Heng stops only to tease his sister in another fashion. "A-Hui," he says with fake reprimand, "I'm running around you to protect you, just like an older brother should!"

Lan Hui scowls. "Yuan-gege doesn't do that to me!"

Lan Heng's smile turns to confusion. "'Yuan-gege'? Do you mean Jianhong? You can't just call him by his given name—"

"Not him," Lan Hui says, "Yuan-gege is Yuan-gege. He's a few days older than me."

Lan Xichen can't take it anymore. He steps into the conversation. "A-Hui," he says, "where is your Yuan-gege now?"

The two children startle at his sudden appearance, hastily doing adorable little bows—Lan Hui is obviously only now learning how to, and Lan Heng is still working on the technique. "He's always near the herbal garden," Lan Hui says afterward.

Quietly, Lan Heng asks, "Is something wrong?"

Lan Xichen smiles comfortingly. "Nothing is wrong." He hates lying, but sometimes it must be done. After all, it would probably be alarming for Lan Heng to learn that his little sister has been playing with someone who should not exist. There is no one in the Lan Sect around Lan Hui's age that has the given name "Yuan". Despite the sinking feeling in his stomach—or maybe because of it—Lan Xichen goes to the herbal garden.

Playing there is a gaggle of little children, all Lan Hui's age—some run around in the dirt, others dutifully dig through it, all of them taking advantage of the fact that the herbal garden remains unsupervised at the moment. Lan Xichen has to suppress a smile as he says, "Now, what's going on here?"

The sheer terror in the eyes of the four and five-year-olds when they realize that they have been caught by an adult—and an important one, no less—is amusing. "Nothing," one child says, hiding her hands behind her back. Still, her robes are stained by the dirt, as is everyone else's.

Lan Xichen gives her a gentle, reprimanding look. "Lying is forbidden in the Cloud Recesses," he reminds. The little girl slumps, half in defeat and half in shame. Lan Xichen can't stop his smile anymore. "You all should go to your parents and get cleaned up. But, before you go, can any of you tell me where A-Yuan is?" If what Lan Hui said was true, then he should be somewhere here among the crowd.

His question earns him a dozen tiny hands pointing to the corner of the herbal garden. There, behind a large stalk of herbs, hides the form of a child. The boy's head is peeking out from behind the stalk and he watches, eyes wide, as Lan Xichen is made aware of his existence. He dives completely behind the stalk (a fairly good hiding place, Lan Xichen must admit) as the other children run off to their parents, eager to get away from whatever hot mess they had caused.

Lan Xichen approaches the child slowly and deliberately, so that A-Yuan is well-aware of his approach. Luckily, he does not run, staying in place long enough for Lan Xichen to arrive and take a good look at him. The first thing that crosses Lan Xichen's mind is _He's not a Lan._ That, at least, is abundantly clear: his clothes are brown and faded, obviously quite cheap and well-worn. However, he does seem to recognize Lan Xichen, so maybe this is just a large oversight on his part? He can't be certain.

Slowly, Lan Xichen kneels in front of the child. "Are you A-Yuan?" he asks.

The child stares at him for a few seconds, and then slowly nods. "Are you…" the child begins, only to stop. He seems to be very confused as he stares intently at Lan Xichen. Finally, he says, "Are you Rich-gege?"

Lan Xichen can't hold in his startled giggle. "No," he says, shoulders shaking, "I don't think I am."

"But you look like Rich-gege."

"Do you know Rich-gege's name?"

"Xian-gege told me, but I forgot."

Suddenly, all the blood in Lan Xichen's veins freezes. "Xian-gege?" he asks slowly. "Who is your Xian-gege?" Surely it wasn't who he thought it was. There are so many people whose name has "Xian" in it, how could this person that A-Yuan is referring to be him? How could this child be talking about Wei Wuxian?

A-Yuan smiles. "Xian-gege is Xian-gege."

That, of course, answers absolutely nothing. "A-Yuan," he asks, voice shaking, "what is your family name?"

"A-Yuan is A-Yuan." Lan Xichen faintly wonders if this child enjoys the suffering he is bringing him. "Not-Rich-gege," he says suddenly, "I want to grow up big and strong."

Automatically, Lan Xichen responds, "Then you should eat your vegetables."

A-Yuan frowns. "Xian-gege said that I would grow if he planted me in the ground with the turnips. Xian-gege can't plant me anymore. Not-Rich-gege, plant me!" He holds his hands out expectantly.

Lan Xichen, stuttering, asks, "You want me to plant you?" A-Yuan nods, pointing eagerly at the dirt. Lan Xichen doesn't know why he complies, but he does as asked. He scoops up a handful of dirt and throws it on A-Yuan's legs. Oddly, he isn't as surprised as he thought he would be when it falls right through the child's form.

A-Yuan takes offense to this. "Plant me!" he demands. "I won't grow unless you plant me!" Lan Xichen just stares at him blankly before A-Yuan realizes that he won't get what he wants. In frustration, the child tries to dig some dirt up himself, but his hands slip right through the ground. The more force he puts, the deeper his arms go into the dirt—finally, he's shoulder-deep in it, and yet it's like he is a mirage. He can scoop no dirt. Tears leak out of his eyes. "Not-Rich-gege, plant me!" he screams. He's shaking and he goes to clutch Lan Xichen's arm, only to fall right through.

Lan Xichen can only watch in horror as A-Yuan—Wen Yuan, his mind corrects—sobs in despair. Then, his entire demeanor changes. He goes from sadness to fear. He tries even more desperately to grab Lan Xichen's arm, but it doesn't work. "Help me," he sobs. "It hurts!" Before Lan Xichen can ask what hurts, he hears a sickening crack.

Just like that, little A-Yuan's skull cracks open.

The child screams in complete and utter agony. "Help me!" he cries, blood running down his face. "It hurts! It hurts! Where's Xian-gege!?" His hands go up to try and cover his head, but it only brings him more pain.

Lan Xichen immediately scrambles backward, shock coursing through him. He very nearly vomits, his own tears spilling from his eyes. "A-Yuan," he says, "are you dead?"

A-Yuan doesn't answer his question, instead continuing to scream. The sound attracts others—many others—who all come rushing to the garden. They try to help the child, only to come to the horrifying realization that they can do nothing. They can only watch as Wen Yuan dies slowly, in agony. Lan Xichen is vaguely aware of a pair of hands helping him up. He's vaguely aware that those hands belong to his uncle, Lan Qiren, who looks just as horrified as the rest of them.

He's very aware when Wen Yuan's crying finally stops. He sees him slump to the ground, where he stays for only a moment before disappearing. He reappears in a matter of seconds, once again squatting in the dirt behind an herbal stalk. He looks up at Lan Xichen, only to then look past him. His smile suddenly turns as bright as the sun.

"Rich-gege!" he calls out. "Plant me in the ground so I can grow big and strong!"

Lan Xichen turns. He sees his younger brother, the one who was supposed to be in seclusion, standing there. He sees something in Lan Wangji's eyes break. He sees his brother fall to his knees and sob.

(All of the Cloud Recesses realizes that day that something has gone very wrong.)

* * *

**Everyone in** Lotus Pier waits for their ghost to appear—it's only a matter of time, after all. The Jiang is the only Great Sect left that hasn't received one. And, of course, they are not disappointed. They find their ghost on the fourth day.

Wei Wuxian is kneeling in front of the Jiang's ancestral shrine. His head is bowed. This is the only time in Jiang Cheng's memory that Wei Wuxian has been the complete picture of obedience. Zidian crackles to life in his hand as he goes to whip Wei Wuxian. It goes right through him and damages the floor, and Wei Wuxian doesn't turn—he doesn't even flinch. Jiang Cheng, instead, trembles and pants and has to control his breathing. He is the one who has to compose himself. He knows he can't drag Wei Wuxian out of the room, so does the one thing he can do: he walks in front of him and bites out, "How dare you."

Wei Wuxian stares up at him blankly. "I'm sorry," he says.

"You're sorry?" Jiang Cheng scoffs. "You killed my brother-in-law. You killed my _sister_!"

All Wei Wuxian says in response is, "I'm sorry."

Jiang Cheng sees red. "Get out!" he screams. "Get out of here! Get out of Lotus Pier! I never want to see you again!"

Wei Wuxian does not move. He only goes back to staring at the ancestral shrine, tears leaking down his face. "I'm sorry."

It's then that Jiang Cheng remembers how a Harmless Ghost works. Wei Wuxian must be recreating his death—the one that no one (not even Jiang Cheng) had witnessed. He then remembers the implications of being haunted by a Harmless Ghost. His expression immediately sours. "You want me to repent?" he hisses to the unresponsive mirage. "For what? What have I done to you? You should repent to me!"

Wei Wuxian does not respond. Deep inside himself, Jiang Cheng feels a strong sense of wrongness. After all, no one ever expected the great Wei Wuxian to die apologizing for something. He suddenly feels exhausted—like all of the fight has been drained out of him. He stumbled back into the Ancestral Hall's wall and slides down to the floor. Clutching his head in his arms, he whispers, "You've orphaned Jin Ling." _This_ causes Wei Wuxian to freeze. Jiang Cheng continues on. "He cries so much now. I can't stop him, Wei Wuxian. He keeps going until he's exhausted, and then he wakes up and cries again. No one can do anything about it. At least he sleeps when I hold him." Jiang Cheng thinks of the child that's currently sleeping in his room. He wants to be there—no, he wants to be anywhere but here.

_Why can't I?_ he thinks dimly. Yes, he has no obligation to stay here with the man that ruined his life. So Jiang Cheng leaves. He's only somewhat aware that Wei Wuxian is following him, and it fills him with agitation, but he continues on nonetheless. He has to pass through the central courtyard, which is filled with practicing disciples, but he couldn't care less. Everyone stops to stare at the sight of Sect Leader Jiang being followed by the Yiling Patriarch. Everyone flits about nervously as the two disappear into Sect Leader Jiang's chambers.

Jiang Cheng sits down next to the bed where Jin Ling slumbers. Jiang Cheng slumps forward when he realizes that Wei Wuxian is still there. He can't scream because it would wake up his nephew, and he can't hit him because it would do no good against a ghost. Jiang Cheng just looks at Jin Ling as he says, "Wei Wuxian, you're dead. You can't take anything else from me."

Wei Wuxian doesn't answer, and it's only then that Jiang Cheng realizes that something is different—his entire demeanor has changed. He turns, concerned and on guard, to find Wei Wuxian suddenly burst out in relieved laughter, his eyes far away. He clutches a stab wound in his stomach—the one Jiang Cheng very clearly remembers giving him—as he stares off, his eyes unfocused. "I destroyed the seal," he says.

Jiang Cheng jumps up at the large sound and hisses, "Don't be loud, Wei Wuxian! You'll wake Jin Ling!"

Wei Wuxian just turns and runs out of the room, Jiang Cheng quickly following. "It can't hurt anyone anymore," Wei Wuxian says when they reach the central courtyard. "No one will die because of it anymore. I've destroyed my worst creation! The Stygian Tiger Seal is gone!" He laughs and laughs, completely relieved, until suddenly, a patch of skin on his arm is torn off. He pays it no mind. Then the same thing happens to his cheek. More and more of his flesh is torn off, and yet Wei Wuxian still smiles. "No one will suffer because of me anymore!" He looks delighted. "It's gone! I'll be dead!"

He continues saying similar things, practically giddy as his body is slowly torn to shreds—by the fierce corpses, Jiang Cheng realizes. He could no longer control them after the destruction of the Stygian Tiger Seal. And then he realizes something else: earlier, Wei Wuxian's apologies had been sincere. _This_ is the recreation of his death. He offers no apologies, for he has quite obviously finally gone mad. He's full of joy at the knowledge that from now on he'll never ruin anyone's life.

Everyone—especially Jiang Cheng—watches on in horror as Wei Wuxian collapses to the ground, a broken and bloody mess, still declaring to the world, wonderfully chipper, that he will never harm them again. That's how he dies: a wide smile on his face, still getting ripped apart by phantom arms that cannot be seen. Then he disappears. He reappears, this time in the small lotus pond off to the side of the central courtyard. He stares into it dully before he puts his head in his arms and sobs so violently that it racks through his entire body.

Everyone can hear his choked out words, filled with complete and utter despair: "I'm sorry."

(All of Lotus Pier realizes that day that something has gone very wrong.)

* * *

**More ghosts** of the Wen Remnants pop up in the minor Sects. It doesn't take long before everyone is in outrage, demanding an explanation. The ghosts do not relent, not even during the emergency meeting where all the Sect Leaders discuss what to do. They crowd into Koi Tower's main hall. Some wail and scream and others seem quite amicable until someone does something they don't like.

It's hard to breathe when the Yiling Patriarch is in the same room as you, his limbs slowly being torn off as he comforts a sobbing child with its head cracked open. The discussion is a disaster; no one knows how to proceed. Finally, Hanguag-Jun—who forced himself out of seclusion, demanding to come to the meeting (injuries be damned) and who has spent the entirety of the meeting staring at Wei Wuxian and A-Yuan—asks the Yiling Patriarch, "How can we repent?"

Wei Wuxian does not answer, but his skin stops peeling and A-Yuan stops crying. Everyone stops wailing and Wen Qing, still burning alive, stops wheezing. Instead, she offers Lan Wangji a grateful smile before turning to Jin Guangshan and Jin Guangyao. "First of all," she says, voice the perfect picture of politeness, "tell us where my little brother is."

(The cultivational world never recovers from this, but maybe that's a good thing—it is a lesson that no one should ever forget: don't make assumptions on the quality of another person's character, and certainly don't sign their death warrants because of it.)

* * *

**Wen Ning** is released, to be kept under careful supervision, Lan Wangji learns. Lan Wangji has watched everything go down as passively as possible—even when he wants to sob and sob until he can't anymore. His Sect is trying to force him back into seclusion. He refuses. "Wangji," his brother sometimes says, "you need to recover."

All Lan Wangji can remember is Wei Ying, slowly being torn apart, and A-Yuan, dying in agony. He doesn't want to go into seclusion. In fact, for now at least, he doesn't want to go back to the Cloud Recesses. So, he sneaks into where Wen Ning is being held. "Wen Qionglin," he says as respectfully as possible, "do you want to go to the Burial Mounds with me?"

Because he knows that, just like him, Wen Ning never received his closure. He's completely unsurprised when Wen Ning says, trembling, "Please."

The Ghost General and Hunguang-Jun disappear.

(Wen Ning and Lan Wangji get their peace.)

**the end**


End file.
